Harith al-Dhari
Encyclopedia
Sheikh
Harith Sulayman al-Dhari (al-Dari) or Harith ibn Sulayman ibn Dhari al-Zoba'i al-shamri (born in 1941 in Anbar
in Al Zaidan district
, Iraq
) is a Sunni Arab cleric, and chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars
. He is also leader of the Zoba' tribe. An outspoken critic of the American invasion of Iraq, he is known as "the Spiritual Leader of the Iraqi Resistance" (Insurgency). His father and grandfather killed British Colonel Gerard Leachman
and played a part in the 1920 revolution against British imperial rule, which was the fiercest in the Shi'ite south, and was a seminal moment of unity between Iraq's Sunnis, Shi'ites, and Kurds that forced the British to allow a form of self-rule.
in Cairo
. He later worked in the Islamic Law Department of Baghdad University.
On November 16, 2006 Iraq
's interior minister Jawad al-Bolani (a Shi'a) announced that an arrest warrant had been issued from the state's judicial system for al-Dhari, who then lived between Cairo and Amman, on charges of inciting violence. "The government's policy is that anyone who tries to spread division and strife among the Iraq people will be chased by our security agencies,".
In his speech on July 2, 2006, Osama Bin Laden praised Al-Dhari.
In May 2007 Harith al-Dhari did an interview with Time magazine, taking a stand in opposition to Al-Qaeda in Iraq
, but also in opposition to the US occupation and the Maliki government.
In July 2007 Harith al-Dhari did an interview with Al Jazeera Live channel, which announced that Al-Qaeda in Iraq
killed 50 members from his family.
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Harith Sulayman al-Dhari (al-Dari) or Harith ibn Sulayman ibn Dhari al-Zoba'i al-shamri (born in 1941 in Anbar
Anbar
Anbar was a town in Iraq, at lat. 33 deg. 22' N., long. 43 deg. 49' E, on the east bank of the Euphrates, just south of the Nahr 'Isa, or Sakhlawieh canal, the northernmost of the canals connecting that river with the Tigris.-History:...
in Al Zaidan district
Fallujah (district)
Fallujah is a district in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. It is centered around the city of Fallujah.-cities:*Fallujah *Saqulauiah*Amiriyah Fallujah*Al Karmah*Al Enaimih*Al Habanyah *Al Rahaliyah*Al Khaldiya*Al Zaidan...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) is a Sunni Arab cleric, and chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars
Association of Muslim Scholars
The Association of Muslim Scholars is a group of religious leaders in Iraq. It was formed on the April 14, 2003, four days after the U.S.-led invasion demolished the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein, by a group of scholars who aimed to represent Sunnis in Iraq...
. He is also leader of the Zoba' tribe. An outspoken critic of the American invasion of Iraq, he is known as "the Spiritual Leader of the Iraqi Resistance" (Insurgency). His father and grandfather killed British Colonel Gerard Leachman
Gerard Leachman
Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Gerard Evelyn Leachman CIE DSO , was a British soldier and intelligence officer who travelled extensively in Arabia.Leachman was commissioned into the Royal Sussex Regiment and served in India and in the Boer War...
and played a part in the 1920 revolution against British imperial rule, which was the fiercest in the Shi'ite south, and was a seminal moment of unity between Iraq's Sunnis, Shi'ites, and Kurds that forced the British to allow a form of self-rule.
Education
Harith al-Dhari was educated at Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. He later worked in the Islamic Law Department of Baghdad University.
Role in Iraqi politics
Harith al-Dhari has been an outspoken critic of the foreign military presence in Iraq, and has said that he approves of the armed resistance in the absence of a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops. This stance has won him support among Sunni Arabs and respect among the rebels.On November 16, 2006 Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's interior minister Jawad al-Bolani (a Shi'a) announced that an arrest warrant had been issued from the state's judicial system for al-Dhari, who then lived between Cairo and Amman, on charges of inciting violence. "The government's policy is that anyone who tries to spread division and strife among the Iraq people will be chased by our security agencies,".
In his speech on July 2, 2006, Osama Bin Laden praised Al-Dhari.
In May 2007 Harith al-Dhari did an interview with Time magazine, taking a stand in opposition to Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
, but also in opposition to the US occupation and the Maliki government.
In July 2007 Harith al-Dhari did an interview with Al Jazeera Live channel, which announced that Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
killed 50 members from his family.